Sometimes what you're looking for is in the place where you'd least expect it. When Raven's seven-year-old sister unexpectedly shows up, Raven wants answers. As tragedies unfold and a bond is created, can Raven open the door -and her heart- to her sister?

A/N:..O.M.G.! AAAHH! DX Goshness! This story has gone under serious lackage of updates! *huggles the Titans* D8 Gomenesai! T~T I'm SOO sorry it took me this long to update, guys. I was rereading this story last night and was like, "..This was actually pretty good. WHY HAVEN'T I CONTINUED?" So I looked at the last time I updated, and it was LAST YEAR IN DECEMBER! HOW CAN THAT BE? D8 I just realized it's been over a year since I first published this story... wow. Seriously, a year? Doesn't seem near that long to me.. anywhoozle. I thought I'd at least try to get an update in before I go off to church camp in a couple of days. I promise I'll try to be more consistent with updates. THIS I SWEAR! *El Tigre pose* I can't even tell you all how sorry I am. -.- *facebrick*

But here I am again, sooo.. I'll give it my best shot. :D I might be a little rusty on the characters, so I'm sorry if I'm OOC in any way. I'mma try to get this show on the road. x3 Hm.

Jinx looked defensive, crossing her arms. "What? It couldn't hurt to try. Besides, I don't see you guys doing any better."

Sadly, it was true. Nothing was working, and Bella's refusing silence was unnerving them all, even if they tried not to let on about it.

Raven sighed, at a loss. She rubbed her temples. "This is going nowhere."

"Fast," Kid Flash added, the pun earning him a kick from Jinx's extremely high heels.

"Oh, please, friends!" Starfire protested, her foreign green eyes distressed. "We should not give up hope. Bella is needing for us to persevere!"

Argent sighed. "I'll give it a shot." She leaned forward and tapped on the door. "Bella, I'm really itching for some of your famous tea. Humor us with a tea party?" She was met with no answer. "..Well, I tried. Besides, Bella can't stay locked up forever. She has to use the loo sometime."

"Loo?" Melvin and Starfire repeated in confusion, to which the alien added, "Please explain this earthly figure of speech of which I do not understand."

Kid Flash, who as we all know is a world-class vagabond, jumped in to translate. "You know - the can, the john, the po-"

"We get it, smart one," Jinx interrupted, facepalming.

Starfire's face was still blank. "I'm afraid I do not."

Kole chuckled uneasily. "Bathroom," she clarified.

Tula laughed. "Can you believe they actually have a room for that here, Garth?" She turned her grinning face to the others to explain, "Back in Atlantis, there was no such thing as a restroom. We went where ever we pleased! I mean, it's underwater, people!"

"Tula!" Aqualad protested, obviously uncomfortable.

Beast Boy, who had returned earlier with Cyborg, who meanwhile was warming up the pizzas for the third time, felt his eyes widen. "...That's like going in a pool, dude! Totally sick!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly something shocked them all: Bella's voice filtering through the door. And it actually held a little interest, instead of the plaintive hopelessness that had laced it for the past few days. "..How do you use the bathroom in your costume, Raven?"

All of them were stunned into silence, but even Beast Boy knew not to react too surprisingly to hear Bella, in case she would realize that she was supposed to be sulking and slip back into her isolated shell. "A worthy question, Bella," Kid Flash finally spoke, swiveling his gaze to the empath. "How do you, Raven?"

"Dude, I've never thought about it before, but seriously! In that getup?" Beast Boy demanded, taking a closer look at Raven's costume. She felt uncomfortable with being the sudden center of attention. But she was too relieved at hearing Bella's voice to berate her for the question.

Raven glared at them. "Like that's any of your business," she intoned.

"It must be hard," Melvin commented, to which Kole nodded in agreement.

"I don't see how it would be any harder for her than any of us," Argent remarked, glancing around at everyone's apparel. "I mean, seriously. Take a good look at us. Superheroes do have a classy sense of style, but also a bit..erm, inconvenient."

Tula cracked up. "Unitard guy," she said to Aqualad, who sighed with a frown.

"It would be even harder in spandex," Jinx put in her two cents, eyeing Kid Flash and Beast Boy.

Kid Flash turned to Beast Boy. "Hey, does Tin Man even use the bathroom?" he inquired, referring to Cyborg.

The shapeshifter nodded. "Yeah.. even though he doesn't wear pants.." he mused, head tilted. "..Weird."

Kole looked uncomfortable. "Subject change?" she offered.

"I second that notion," Raven agreed.

"Most agreed," Starfire put in, since she mostly had no idea what they were all talking about.

Everyone looked at the door, then at Raven, urging her forward with their eyes. Raven inwardly sighed and stepped up to the unspoken challenge. "..Bella?" she said softly. "I know you're scared. Everyone else is scared." She hesitated before admitting, "I'm scared. But we'll find a way to stop Trigon. I have before, and we will again. So, please.. join us? ...For me?" she dared to add.

Seconds ticked by, and Raven realized she was holding her breath. She released it as the door slowly slid open, revealing Bella and her mussed hair and puffy, red eyes. Everyone's faces lit up with truimphant and relieved smiles at the much-missed sight of the little girl. A small smile even graced Raven's lips.

Bella glanced around uncertainly at everybody and swallowed, then spoke around the thumb in her mouth.

The Titans had gone through the fridge to find Bella some sweet tea to drink, but then found a halfway-empty carton of eggnog leftover from Christmas. After checking the expiration date, Cyborg deemed it still good enough to drink and so had offered it to Bella.

Beast Boy made a face. "I don't trust anything dairy."

"Well, duh," Jinx shot back. "You're a vegetarian."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!"

"It is!" Kid Flash exclaimed in horror. "You can't even have real sugar! You have to have vegan desserts! If that's not torture, I don't know what is!"

"Hey!" Tula protested. "I don't think it's so bad. I think it's admirable of the little guy. Who wants to eat poor, innocent fishies who used to be friends of mine?" Aqualad nodded vigorously in agreement.

Melvin was watching her friend anticipatingly. "C'mon, Bella! You're the bravest of the brave! Nothing can stop you from drinking that egg stuff!" she cheered, then her blonde pigtail twitched. "Bobby wants some if it's good!"

Raven and Argent drank tea as they watched. Starfire drank mustard. Kid Flash briefly stole the mustard from her to put on his sandwich.

Bella took a tentative sip, and her face was similar to when she had tried waffles for the first time. Her dark lavender eyes lit up with a newfound glee. "This is yummy!" She took a longer sip.

Kole turned to her. "Aw, Raven, let her have her fun. Bella's been down lately. I say it's good for her if she gets a little hyper."

"I concur." Argent sipped the herbal tea, looking from Raven to Jinx and thinking that she would really grow to like them. They had cool, edgy sense of styles. She liked that.

But Raven was watching her little sister. She'd been with her long enough to know when a sugar rush was coming, and now was one of those times. She could see it in the seven-year-old's eyes. Raven felt her own rounding slightly. As she opened her mouth to comment, Bella beat her to it and randomly burst into laughter, grabbing the carton to drink from it.

Cyborg at first grinned in amusement, then it faded to uncertainty as she downed it.

"Uhh..guys..."

"I think you created a monster," Kid Flash observed simply.

Bobby disappeared in fear, and even Melvin backed up a little, blue eyes round as saucers. "Bella's scaring Bobby. Not me, but Bobby."

"This is what they call bipolar mood swings," Jinx remarked, almost casually.

"Dudes..she has a crazy look in her eye..." Beast Boy swallowed.

"Maybe this was a bad idea.." Kole pondered nervously.

"..This is so entertaining. Joining the Titans is the best thing I've ever done," Argent mused.

"What the shell! Did you see the way she scaled that wall, Garth? Holy scallop!"

"Tula, watch your language!" Aqualad chided.

"I..I am not feeling of the good about this.." Starfire panicked.

"..Now that's what I call bouncing back," Cyborg said with a note of satisfaction.

Bella had gotten in her Roborgenfire Boy outfit and was riding on the ceiling fan. Don't ask how she got there. "You better do what I say 'cause I'm the leader! Mr. Fuzzlebums didn't wanna obey me, and look what happened to him!" she shouted, pointing to where her teddy bear was slammed into the wall with a Batarang. Everyone gulped. Hyper Bella off eggnog was a scary thing indeed..

Bella jumped off and landed in a heap on the ground, then shot up. "I'mma learn how to fly! I'm gonna fly like Sissy Rae!" she cried out randomly and raced to the rooftop of the T-Tower.

Everyone exchanged glances, then their eyes widened in sync. "STOP HER!" the group chorused, and they all ran and followed her, where Bella was preparing to jump off the edge of the roof.

They'd wanted her to come out of her room and be herself, but not to this extreme..

It was going to be a long night.

A/N: LOL, I felt like that was a good stopping point! More is to come in the next chapter, starting with all of them playing a round of Truth or Dare! Total funness in store, right? ^_^ Please leave feedback, I promise I'll try to update quicker next time! Please forgive moi! u_u

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